1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to reforming stations in a wire rod mill, and is concerned in particular with an improved means for distributing wire rod loops as they are being received from the delivery end of a cooling conveyor and accumulated in coil form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical wire rod mill installation, as indicated schematically in FIG. 1, billets are reheated in a furnace 10, and then are continuously hot rolled through roughing, intermediate and finishing sections 12, 14 and 16 of the mill. The finished wire rod is then preliminarily cooled in water boxes 18 before being formed into loops L by a laying head 20. The loops are received in an overlapping arrangement on a cooling conveyor 22 where they are subjected to further controlled cooling. Thereafter, the loops drop from the delivery end of the conveyor into a reforming station 24 where they are gathered into upstanding cylindrical coils. The coils are then compacted, banded and transferred to other locations (not shown) for further processing or shipment to off site customers.
As the loops drop into the reforming station, their orientation with respect to each other has an effect on the shape and size of the resulting coil. For example, if the loops are allowed to pile up at one side, the coil is likely to be lopsided and unstable. It is desirable, therefore, to achieve a uniform distribution of successive loops around the circumference of the coil as it is being formed. In this way, the coil takes on a more stable configuration, and subsequent compaction will result in increased density, thereby minimizing the space occupied by the coils during transit and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,052 discloses one attempt at achieving improved loop distribution through the use of a rotating deflector arm extending radially inwardly towards the center of the reforming chamber, with its innermost surface spaced from the opposite side of the chamber by a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the descending loops. Theoretically, this arrangement can operate satisfactorily as long as the loops follow a more or less constant path of descent. However, under actual operating conditions in a rolling mill environment, the loops can and often do stray from one path, thus presenting a danger that they will hang up on the arm. When this occurs, subsequent loops will rapidly pile up above the rotating arm, the result being an uncontrolled tangle necessitating a complete shutdown.